Redemption

Spike went on a journey and passed three deadly trials to get his soul because of his love for Buffy. It is true that Spike was forced to receive the chip that basically 'defanged' him and prevented him from killing humans, much like Angelus receiving a soul by force. It wasn't until about a year after receiving it, Out of My Mind (S5,Ep4), that Spike dreams about kissing Buffy and admits to loving her. In Fool For Love, Spike actually tries to kiss Buffy and is rejected by her.

Anya existed as a vengeance demon for about 1120 years or about 6 to 7 times the number of years that Angelus reigned terror across Europe and the Far East. She existed 9 times longer then even Spike and his killing spree with Angelus, Darla and Drusilla. I do not recall Anya ever, not even up to the wedding, showing any sense of guilt for what she had done. All of her actions as a vengeance demon was by her own choice.

Anya was conscious of her choices to grant the wishes no matter how extreme a reaction the scorned women had. Regardless of this and her being a demon Xander and Buffy except her. Xander has given both Angel and Spike a great deal of hassle over their pasts and that's for a fraction of the time that Anya lived. Even Buffy hardly had any real problems about it until 'Selfless' (S7,Ep5). So why did Xander give Angel and Spike grief over their pasts when they didn't choose to become vampires? How could Xander sleep at night next to Anya and never feel any guilt or grief over her actions?

The tricky thing with any of the vampires on BtVS and AtS (Angel, Spike, Darla and Drusilla) is that they all have done a hundred plus years of murder and nothing can ever really redeem them. Even if their 'good' actions are done selflessly and if they saved millions of lives, how can you ever make it up to the thousands that they hunted, tortured and killed? They can be 'fallen angels' and try to redeem themselves, but they do so with the knowledge that nothing they do could truely make up for their past.

DARLA: No? It’s really not, is it? We did so many terrible things together. So much destruction, so much pain. We can’t make up for any of it. You know that, don’t you?
ANGEL: Yes.
"Lullaby" (S3,Ep9)

Giles: Maybe. Maybe not. In my experience, there are... two types of monster. The first, uh, can be redeemed, or more importantly, wants to be redeemed.

"And if you're going to seriously redeem a character like Spike, who is a mass murderer, then he's going to have to go through a real journey," he said. But he hoped the writers got it over with soon, he added, laughing, "because I'm tired of getting dragged across gravel." JM (Text1 and Text2)

"I'd like to see him regain his sense of joy in something more fruitful than killing people," he said. "I've always envisioned him giving Buffy a garden that he could never go to in the daytime, to give her something alive for a change." JM (Text1 and Text2)

"The fact that Spike is truly in love can motivate him to great acts of heroism as he tries to become the kind of man that Buffy could love," he observes, "or, if spurned, it could drive to him to great acts of villainy."
"I don't know if Buffy will ever reciprocate Spike's feelings," he admits. "I really think Spike is kind of beneath her. He's evil — he really is. He just happens to be in love with a good person." James Marsters
-comments about Buffy and Spikes relationship

Q: Do you think that the chipped Spike is redeemable and could Buffy love him?
Jane Espenson: It would be very hard to redeem Spike, he doesn’t have a soul. There is a line that I wrote that I really love where Buffy realises that Dawn has a crush on Spike and says, "You cannot hang out with a vampire" and Dawn says "You did with Angel." Buffy says, "Angel had a soul" and Dawn says, "Spike has a chip, same diff."
I love the idea that the soul and the chip are very much the same but they are very different because of the heart behind them. As long as Spike hasn't a soul, he cannot be redeemed.
However, there’s a lot that Spike can do without redemption. He can explore all kinds of human interactions without redemption and that’s even more interesting. (Text)

David Fury says: (Tue Feb 13 09:48:23 2001 216.186.167.140)
" ...To those who feel my conviction that Spike can never be redeemed and cannot someday end up with our heroine, shows a lack of imagination of my part, I say you're right. It is beyond my limited imagination to see a strong, independent, female character end up falling for a murderer who would be killling innocent people were he not suffering from chip affliction." (Source)
This quote from DF cause a great deal of turmoil online among Buffy fans. I suggesting reading the whole Q&A session as well as the responce to the flaming war that it caused.
"James Marsters was a guest on 'The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn' 21 January. During the interview, there was this exchange:"
CK: Are you good or bad? I can never figure out?
JM: Uh, reformed. Seeking forgiveness. Actually, whining a lot right now. Yeah. They're spending a lot of time making Spike feel really bad for killing all those people so they can then redeem him. (Source)
"Already, in our little circle, in our little show, with its little prophecy, we have serious questions about the vampire with a soul who would be champion.
Is it Angel, as we always assumed, or Spike?
It has been my feeling for some time that Spike’s path to redemption, specifically his intention to be redeemed against his nature, is more worthy of the prophecies. That Angel’s mantel was forced upon him, and, no matter how strong a force of good he may be, he is not as worthy.
Or, perhaps, worthy enough."
"Storyteller: Self-Portrait" article by Hunter Maxin 2/25/2003
based on the episode "Storyteller" from ScoopMe!
LONDON (1880)— VICTORIAN PARLOR
A very different and human Spike— William, actually— sits and composes poetry off in the corner during a dinner party. The spirited laughter of the partygoers can be heard in the background. William’s hair is long and unruly and he’s dressed as a proper gentleman, complete with tie and reading spectacles. He’s awkward and bookish— none of the confident swagger we’re used to.
WILLIAM: (to himself) Luminous… oh, no, no, no. Irradiant’s better.
A WAITER approaches and holds out a tray.
WAITER: Care for an hors d’oeuvre, sir?
WILLIAM: Oh, quickly! I’m the very spirit of vexation. What’s another word for “gleaming”? It’s a perfectly perfect word as many words go but the bother is nothing rhymes, you see.
The waiter smiles patronizingly and moves off into the crowd. William’s eyes are drawn to CECILY: ADDAMS, a young woman just entering the party.
WILLIAM: Cecily…
He turns back to his poem with renewed purpose and jots down several more lines, then gets up and moves through the crowd toward her.
TITLE CARD: London, 1880
CUT TO: A group of young ARISTOCRATs— a woman and her two male companions—
are gathered, discussing current events.
ARISTOCRAT #1: I mean to point out that it’s something of a mystery and the police should keep an open mind.
One of the men turns to William as he passes by.
ARISTOCRAT #2: (to William) Ah, William! Favor us with your opinion. What do you make of this rash of disappearances sweeping through our town? Animals or thieves?
WILLIAM: (haughty) I prefer not to think of such dark, ugly business at all. That’s what the police are for. (looks at Cecily) I prefer placing my energies into creating things of beauty.
The third aristocrat snatches the poem from William’s hands.
ARISTOCRAT #3: I see. Well, don’t withhold, William.
ARISTOCRAT #1: Rescue us from a dreary topic.
WILLIAM: (to Aristocrat #3) Careful. The inks are still wet. Please, it’s not finished.
ARISTOCRAT #3: Don’t be shy. (reads) “My heart expands/’tis grown a bulge in it/inspired by your beauty, effulgent.” (laughs) Effulgent?
Everyone laughs, mocking William. Uncomfortable, Cecily glances at William and walks off. William shoots he aristocrats a sour look, snatches back his poem, and follows her.
ARISTOCRAT #2: And that’s actually one of his better compositions.
ARISTOCRAT #1: Have you heard? They call him William the Bloody because of his bloody awful poetry!
ARISTOCRAT #3: It suits him. I’d rather have a railroad spike through my head than listen to that awful stuff!
CUT TO: Spike approaches Cecily who sits on a sofa, away from the main party, and looks out the window.
WILLIAM: Cecily?
She turns and sighs when she sees him.
CECILY: Oh. Leave me alone.
WILLIAM: Oh, they’re vulgarians. They’re not like you and I.
CECILY: You and I? I’m going to ask you a very personal question and I demand an honest answer. Do you understand? (he nods) Your poetry, it’s… they’re… not written about me, are they?
WILLIAM: They’re about how I feel.
CECILY: Yes, but are they about me?
WILLIAM: Every syllable.
CECILY: Oh, god!
WILLIAM: Oh, I know… it’s sudden and… please, if they’re no good, they’re only words but… the feeling behind them… I love you, Cecily.
CECILY: Please stop!
WILLIAM: I know I’m a bad poet but I’m a good man and all I ask is that… that you try to see me—
CECILY: I do see you. That’s the problem. You’re nothing to me, William. You’re beneath me.
She stands and walks off, leaving William devastated and alone.
CUT TO: 9 EXT. LONDON STREET— NIGHT 9
William staggers down the street in tears, ripping up his poems as he goes. He bumps into a passerby and drops the pages.
WILLIAM: Watch where you’re going!
He gathers up the torn sheets and makes his way toward a nearby alleyway.
CUT TO: 10 EXT. LONDON ALLEY— NIGHT 10
William sits on a bale of hay and finishes the job of destroying his poetry. He looks up at the sound of a woman’s voice to find DRUSILLA: standing serenely before him in the dark alley.
DRUSILLA: And I wonder what possible catastrophe came crashing down from heaven and brought this dashing stranger to tears?
WILLIAM: Nothing. I wish to be alone.
DRUSILLA: Oh, I see you. A man surrounded by fools who cannot see his strength, his vision, his glory. (beat) That and burning baby fish swimming all around your head.
William backs away from her, nervous.
WILLIAM: That’s quite close enough. I’ve heard tales of London pickpockets. You’ll not be getting my purse, I tell you.
DRUSILLA: (smiles) Don’t need a purse.
She points to his heart and head in succession.
DRUSILLA: Your wealth lies here… and here. In the spirit and… imagination. You walk in worlds the others can’t begin to imagine.
William is riveted by her insight into his character.
WILLIAM: Oh, yes! I mean, no. I mean… mother’s expecting me.
Drusilla opens the collar of his shirt.
DRUSILLA: I see what you want. Something glowing and glistening. Something… effulgent.
William is beside himself. Finally someone who understands him.
WILLIAM: (sotto) Effulgent.
DRUSILLA: Do you want it?
William has never wanted anything more.
WILLIAM: Oh, yes! God, yes.
Drusilla looks down for a moment as her face changes and her fangs descend.
William reacts, more confused than afraid. She pulls back his shirt collar and buries her fangs in his neck. William cries out in pain but his cries quickly turn to moans of pleasure as Drusilla ends his human existence.
Come and visit my BtVS and AtS fansite Fallen Angels where all of the characters that are seeking redemption are discussed.
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